Dough divider



JUIY 11 1950 F. KLQssMANN 2,515,125

nouGH DIVIDER Filed Feb. 19, 1949 YI' N MI uw IN VEN TOR.

FRITZ KLussMAN/v Aftorhey Patented July 11, 1950 DoUoH DIVIDER Fritz Klussmann, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a `cor-- lporatior-i of Delaware Application February 19, 1949a iSerial No. 77,390

2 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for dividing and scaling plastic materials, and particularly for dividing and scaling dough into proper ysize for use in making rolls, buns, loaves of bread and the like.

A typical dough divider to which the present invention is peculiarly adapted comprises a rotating disc provided with cylinders successively passing beneath a dough supply hopper. Each cylinder contains a piston provided with a piston rod projecting through a cylinder head forming a closure for the bottom of the cylinder and reciprocating movement is communicated to the piston by means of cam mechanism operating against the lower end of the piston rod. The piston rod is mounted in a close tting sleeve formed with the cylinder head thereby minimizing any tendency of the piston to cock or bind in the cylinder during reciprocation thereof. The piston is in retracted position when the cylinder is beneath the hopper to receive dough therefrom, and is in projected position after the cylinder passes the hopper to eject the divided dough piece from the cylinder. In dough receiving position, the. cylinder is evacuated through grooves in the piston whereby the dough isdrawn into the cylinder.

It has been found in practice that small particles Vof dough nd their way between the piston rod and the sleeve in which the piston rod reciprocates and after a time the accumulation of doug-h causes the piston rod to stick and to freeze in the sleeve, necessitating disassembly of the piston and cylinder assembly in order to clean the piston rod and the inside of the sleeve.

It is lan object of my invention to provide an improved dough divider of the type described, wherein interruption of the divider during a run of dough is obviated; whereindisassembly of the a piston assembly for purposeof cleaning can be Figure l is a view of the divider in side elevationy with parts broken away and shown in section to clearly illustrate the invention; land Figure 2 is an enlarged View in elevation of the piston and piston rod.

While this machine is particularly designed for 2 the purpose of .dividing dough and it is hereinafter described with particular reference to dough, it will be obvious that vit can also be used for dividing other plastic materials than dough.

Referring 'to Figure. l ol the drawing, the divider comprises a vertical drive shaft housing I0 which is supported in any suitable manner on the gear housing I I. A vertical drive shaft I'2 extends through and is mounted inthe drive shaft housing l0, the lower end of the vertical drive shaft I2 projecting into the gear 'housing l I and the upper end thereof projecting above the housing I0.

Suitable gearing in the gear housing I I is provided' for transmitting rotary movement to the drive shaft I2 from' the horizontal power shaft I3 which is driven through well known variable speed drive means (not shown) from a suitable motor (not shown).

Keyed on the upper projecting end of vertical drive shaft 'I2 for rotation therewith is a circular disc or cylinder plate I4. A plurality of equidistant circularly arranged cylinders I5, preferably formed integral with the plate I4 depend therefrom adjacent the periphery thereof. An annular race i6 is integrally formed with and circumscribes the lower portions of the cylinders I 5, the purpose of which will be brought out' later in the description.

The bottom of each cylinder I'5 isprovided with a cylinder head I'I detachably secured to the cylinder in any suitable manner, 'as by bolts I8. Each of the cylinder heads II has an integrally formed and centrally disposed depending sleeve I9, opening at its upper 'end into its respective cylinder I5 and being also open at its lower end.

For a purpose to be later explained, each of the cylinders 'I 5 is provided in its side wall immediately above the cylinder head I'I and remote from the axis of the r.platel'fl with a radial aperture 20 opening through the annular Vrace I6.

In each of the cylinders I5 there is mounted a l piston 2I` arranged, ashereinjafter described, to reciprocate between an up position flush with the top of plate `I4` and any 'one of a number of predetermined Vdown'positionswithinthe cylinder I5 above the level of the aperture 20. 'The periphery of the .piston 2l isy provided with a plurality of equidis'tantly spaced angular grooves 22. The

Y number, spacing and width of the grooves 22 may be varied, but should beso designed as to permit air to pass therethrough between the piston 2I and the wall of the cylinder I5 to produce a suction inthe cylinder I5 to draw the dough to be divided and scaled, into the cylinder I5 but to r'tard passage of the dough through the grooves 2 1 Reciprocating movement is communicated to the piston 2| through the piston rod 23 which is threaded at one end in the piston 2l and extends therefrom through the cylinder head I1 and sleeve I9, projecting Abeyond the lower end of the sleeve I9. The piston rod 23 is provided at its lower end Witha reduced peripheral portion 24 having ya radially inwardly extending stud 25 at right angles with respect to the axis of the piston rod 23, and on the stud 25 is This roller asrotatably mounted a roller 26. sembly is so constructed and arranged as not to project laterally beyond vthe circumference of the piston rod 2,3, whereby the piston assembly may be conveniently removed and replaced from the top of the plate I4 withoutdisturbing or disassembling any other parts of the divider mechanism.

A latching arrangement is provided for preventing rotary movement of the piston rod 23, comprising a spring pressed plunger 2l arranged to engage a keyway 28 of the piston rod 23 pre-v venting the latter from rotating while permitting reciprocating movement thereof.

A cap 29 se-` cured to the outer end of the plunger 21 proner, above the low side of the cam mechanismk 39, so that as the cylinder plate I4 rotates, the cylinders I5 are brought beneath the hopper 3| with their pistons 2| in depressed position, or. in other words in position to receive dough from the hopper 3|. The dough is drawn into the cylinders I5 by evacuating the air from the space above the pistons 2| through the grooves 22 and from the space beneath the pistons 2| through the apertures 2D in the w-alls of the cylinders I5.

The cylinder evacuating means includes a stationary port ring 32 surrounding and tting closely against the annular race I6. The port ring 32 is provided with a chamber 33 disposed in that portion of port ring 32 immediately beneath the hopper 3|. chamber 33 is open so that the cylinders I5 successively communicate with the chamber 33 throughl their respective apertures 20. The

chamber 33 is connected by means of suitableI tubing 34 with a source of vacuum (not shown).`

Uponl continued rotation of the cylinder plate I4 after one of .its cylinders I5 passes from beneath the hopper 3|, the -cylinder piston 2| is raised until it is flush with the surface of the cylinder plate I4. Raising of the piston 2| is'v .effected through travel ofthe roller 26 of the piston assembly along the high part of the cam mechanism 3U. The divided and scaled dough Apiece which is thus ejected from the cylinder I5 is removed from the cylinder plate I4 in any well known manner.

The piston rod 23 is provided with one or more circumferential grooves 35, two being shown by` way of example. The uppermost of the grooves 35 is so located that, when the pisto-n 2| is at the top of its stroke, the groove just fails to emerge into the cylinder I5. The edges 3B dening the The inner side of they grooves 35 are preferably sharp tofacilitate their objective of scraping off dough that nds its way between the piston rod` 2 3 andthe sleeve I9.

The grooves 35 form repositoriesv for4 the dough so scraped oif by the sharp edges 35, whereby sticking and freezing of the piston rod 23 in the sleeve I9 is prevented. The divider may thus be operated for long periods with no danger of interruption, insures accurate scaling of dough pieces, and minimizes repair and maintenance on the machine. At such times that the divider is not normally in use, the piston assembly may be conveniently removed and the accumulation of dough in the grooves 35 cleaned out.

I claim:

1. A dough divider comprising a stationary hopper, a horizontal disc carrying cylinders revolving under said hopper, a cylinder head for the lower end of each of said cylinders, said cylinder heads being provided with elongated bearing sleeves, a piston in each of said cylinders, said pistons being provided with piston rods mountedin and extending through said bearing sleeves, means to reciprocate said piston rods, said piston rods being provided with annular grooves, the uppermost of said grooves being disposed with the peripheral edge of the piston rod defining the upper circumferential edge oi said groove being substantially flush with the inner wall surface of said cylinder head at the end of the ejecting stroke of the piston, the peripheral edges of said piston rods defining said grooves being sharp to form scraping edges for removing dough particles adhering to the inner wall of said bearing sleeves, and said grooves forming repositories for the dough particles 'scraped from said bearing sleeve wall.

2. In a dough divider, a cylinder open at one end adapted to receive dough, a cylinder head for the other Aend of said cylinder having an elongated bearing sleeve, a reciprocable piston in said cylinder for ejecting the dough therefrom, a piston rod for said piston mounted in and extending through said Ibearing sleeve, said piston having a circumferential annular groove, said annular groove being disposed with the peripheral edge of the pisto-n rod defining the side of the groove nearest the piston being substantially ush with the inner wall of said cylinder head at the end of the ejecting stroke oi the lpiston, the peripheral edges of said piston rods dening said groove forming scraping edges for removing dough particles adhering to the inner wall of said bearing sleeve, and said groove forming a repository for the dough particles scraped from said bearing sleeve wall.

' FRITZ KLUSSMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

